Gotcha Day

[fred rosenberger]

Some folks who seem to have nothing better to do than hang around here may remember the story of my wife and I adopting our daughter from China. Tomorrow (for me), Jan. 9th, 2010, will mark the 5th anniversary of the day Stacey and I first met Olivia face to face. It seems in some ways like it was yesterday.

This weekend we celebrate what is known as "gotcha day" - the day we 'got' her, or legally became her guardians if not her parents just yet. Today Liv got a new stuffed animal bunny from Build-A-Bear workshop, which she named Ariel Ann Crystal. Tomorrow she and I will go see the Chipmunks movie, and tomorrow evening she will get to pick her favorite restaurant to eat at. I'm guessing it will be "Mongolian BBQ", affectionately known as "Grandma Mimi's".

Mimi is the former co-owner who helped us translate some of the documents about 6 years ago. She, and more so her daughters, have become good family friends (Mr. Mimi as we call her husband, doesn't talk much, but is a VERY nice man). We went to one daughters wedding about 1.5 years ago, and will attend the other's wedding this May.

So in a lot of ways, adopting Olivia ALSO gained us another extended family. Sometimes you get paid back at 2 or 3 or 4 to one.

I think that's pretty cool.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

That's worth celebrating -- have a wonderful day!

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Happy Gotcha Day/Weekend.